by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

Football in the Palmetto State has never been better. Clemson has notched back-to-back seasons with 10 or more wins, a first since the end of the Danny Ford era. South Carolina is smack-dab in the middle of its finest run in program history. Both teams enter 2013 with conference and national title hopes.

So the year-end rivalry has taken on a new feel. It's not Georgia and Georgia Tech, since the Yellow Jackets aren't in the championship conversation. It's bigger than Auburn and Alabama, at least in this year's BCS race. It carries more national importance than Ohio State and Michigan, even if not on the same historical level. It is, in fact, one of the biggest games of the 2013 season ‚?? not one of the biggest rivalry games, but one of the biggest games altogether.

The good news for the Tigers is that the only thing missing is steady line play. If the offensive line comes together, this team should end the year as the second-best team in the ACC ‚?? behind Florida State, I should add. If both the offensive and defensive line comes together there's no reason why Clemson can't make a run at both the league title or an at-large BCS bid. That's how good this offense can be, and that's how much better this defense could be under Venables. But the reality of the situation is that you can't win titles with these sort of question marks, especially on offense, and there are four defensive lines on this schedule that could really give the Tigers fits.

2012 RECAP

- In a nutshell: The finest offense in school history and a nicely improved defense led the way for Clemson's third 11-win season in school history, joining 1948 and the title-winning team of 1982. The Tigers' offense was, quite simply, superb: CU averaged 41.0 points per game, the sixth-most in the FBS, and led the ACC in scoring, total and passing offense ‚?? finishing fourth on the ground. Personnel is one thing, and a nice asset at that; but what separates the Tigers from their peers is the dynamic work of coordinator Chad Morris, who is not long for his current position. The defense was improved, true, but also a negative against Florida State, which pulled away for a 49-37 win on Sept. 22. Between FSU and the Gamecocks, CU was unable to notch a big-time win until the postseason, when it topped LSU. Once again, this year's degree of success is predicated on the Tigers' ability to beat premier competition.

- High point: Beating LSU in bowl play validated the Tigers' own sense of self-confidence: We're a good team, they said, and the win proved this fact. The drawback to last year's schedule is that it did not provide ample opportunities for marquee wins, so netting a victory against LSU sent this program into the offseason on an enormously high note.

- Low point: The loss to Florida State ended Clemson's ACC hopes; a loss to South Carolina killed the Tigers' hope for an at-large BCS bid. The year was otherwise flawless, barring a few lulls against ACC competition ‚?? North Carolina State, for example.

- Tidbit: Clemson has been ranked in the top 15 of the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll in each of the last two years. The last time CU received a national ranking in the preseason in back-to-back years was 1996 (No. 23) and 1997 (No. 21). The last time CU was in the preseason top 15 during back-to-back seasons was in 1990 and 1991, when the Tigers were No. 10 and No. 9, respectively, in The Associated Press poll.

- Tidbit (SEC edition): Clemson has three wins against ranked SEC competition during the past two years, the most of any program not in, you know, the SEC. CU is responsible for seven of the non-conference wins against ranked SEC teams since 2011, topping Auburn twice in 2011 and LSU a year ago. Boise State, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisville and Michigan State are the only other teams with wins against a top-25 SEC team.

- Dabo Swinney (Alabama '93), 30-21 at Clemson. Swinney was promoted after the first six games of 2008, when he replaced Tommy Bowden, fired after nearly a decade with the program. Though he inherited a difficult situation ‚?? Clemson, the preseason ACC favorite, had floundered during a 3-3 start ‚?? Swinney imbued the team with a much-needed dose of energy and enthusiasm. After losing his debut, Swinney and the Tigers rolled off three consecutive wins to end the regular season, and salvaged some momentum by reaching the program's first January bowl game since the 2003 season. That momentum carried over to 2009, abated in 2010 but returned with a force during the last two years.

Clemson has altered its course dramatically since the start of the 2011 season. The Tigers are 21-6 during this span, taking home the ACC title in 2011 and winning 11 games a year ago, though Florida State reclaimed a perch atop the Atlantic Division. These teams have been defined by its offensive excellence, propelled forward by coordinator Chad Morris, but last year's squad made a nice move forward on defense ‚?? finally giving a Swinney-coached team the right degree of balance. Looking ahead, CU's task in 2013 is to continue its ways on offense while growing even stingier on defense, particularly against the Seminoles and Gamecocks.

Swinney has been at Clemson since 2003, coaching the receivers from 2003-6 before adding the assistant head coach duties to his title prior to the 2007 season. Swinney also took on the offensive coordinator position when he was tabbed as the interim coach, leading the Tigers' attack for the final seven games of the year. His only assistant experience before Clemson came at his alma mater, Alabama, where he served for eight seasons (1993-2000) under two different coaches ‚?? Gene Stallings, whom he played under, and Mike DuBose. With the Tide, Swinney was a graduate assistant (1993-95), wide receivers and tight ends coach (1996-97) and wide receivers coach (1998-2000). There is no doubt that Swinney would have returned to Alabama as one of Nick Saban's lead assistants had he not been named Clemson's full-time coach at the end of the 2008 season. Clemson blessed its good fortune at first, slid back to irrelevance in 2010 but has boomed back in a big way since 2011, making Swinney a coach to watch nationally heading into his fifth full season.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

- Offense: This offense has two Heisman Trophy contenders. First, let's touch on the individual most responsible for CU's recent fireworks: Chad Morris. There is no better offensive coordinator in the FBS, in my opinion, nor any assistant coach with a better case to be made for his own program. All Morris has done since his first day at Clemson ‚?? a position he assumed in 2011 ‚?? is change the Tigers' fortunes dramatically, taking a woe-is-me team fresh off a disappointing 2010 campaign and reworking its very mentality; what Morris has done is recreate the Tigers' identity as one of the most confident, explosive and potent offensive teams in the country. He'll continue leading this offense to new levels this fall, likely exceeding last season's impressive output despite losing a 1,000-yard rusher and a first-round receiver ‚?? because Morris has the golden touch, it seems.

His top pupil is senior quarterback Tajh Boyd, who turned down an opportunity for the NFL draft to take one more crack at leading Clemson into the championship discussion. His decision altered the makeup of the ACC: Boyd's return ensures another season of superb quarterback play, which in turn guarantees another top-five finish offensively, which in turn makes Clemson one of the league's two title contenders. You won't see massive statistical growth as a senior, but Boyd can continue to sew up his decision-making ‚?? not a major fault, but he had several down moments last November ‚?? while finding equal success downfield. There's a reason he's a Heisman contender: Boyd already holds 51 school records, including marks for career touchdown and efficiency rating, and stands 11 shy of the record for career wins by a quarterback. I'd say Boyd has become all that he was cracked up to be, but let's be honest: He was a whale of a prospect, but he's surpassed expectations.

Clemson's next star is junior wide receiver Sammy Watkins (57 receptions for 708 yards), a sure-fire All-American who might just be the most physically gifted skill player in all of college football. Yes, his sophomore season was slowed by an early-season suspension and a midseason virus, but let's not use that as a barometer for the coming year: Watkins has everything you'd need in a receiver, the size, speed and elusiveness every coach covets, and will bounce back in a huge way as a junior ‚?? more than helping CU replace DeAndre Hopkins, as tall a task as that might seem. I'd be very surprised if Watkins isn't one of the nation's top three receivers in 2013. Knowing that Watkins will deliver, the Tigers can turn their focus to his running mates out wide: Charone Peak (25 for 172), Adam Humphries (41 for 280), Martavis Bryant (10 for 305) and Matt Porter, among some youngsters. Peak will start, but Bryant will play starter's snaps as the Tigers' big-play threat. CU received surprisingly effective production from its tight ends last fall, a position of some concern heading into the year; while no one option stands out, look for Stanton Seckinger, Darrell Smith and Jordan Leggett to supply some toughness for the running game and contribute down the seam.

Here's something to remember: Clemson has won 75% of its games when returning at least four starters up front. Yes, CU brings back four starters in 2013 ‚?? so 9-3 here we come, at the very least. The lone loss is at center, where Dalton Freeman played extremely well as a senior. To replace Freeman, the Tigers will promote sophomore Ryan Norton, a promising second-year player who contributed nicely at both center and guard a year ago. The rest is the status quo: Brandon Thomas is an All-American contender at left tackle, left guard David Beasley will be improved, right guard Tyler Shatley has developed since moving to the offensive side of the ball and right tackle Gifford Timothy stepped up very well at a questionable position heading into last season. While reserves like Jay Guillermo and Kalon Davis made a push for starting jobs during the fall, I'd be surprised if this wasn't your starting five for the opener.

- Defense: This defense will play with a heightened comfort level in second-year coordinator Brent Venables' system. This is good, obviously: CU flashed some nice growth last season, finishing third in the ACC in scoring, and with another step forward can finally lend this team the sort of offense-defense balance needed to compete for national championships. The key remains the defensive line, which played marvelously in the bowl win against LSU ‚?? responding to the staff's calls for more toughness and bottling up the Tigers' loaded running game. One more thing: Clemson might return only six full-time starters, but 10 returning defenders made at least five starts ‚?? yeah, it's tricky how the FBS actually calculates returning starters.

The defensive line holds the key. With three starting roles already locked down, the most interesting competition is occurring at one defensive end spots, where juniors Corey Crawford (47 tackles, 6.0 for loss) and Tavaris Barnes (24 tackles) could conceivably fit hand-in-hand as a complementary duo. Why? Because Barnes is stronger at the point of attack but not a weapon against the pass; Crawford, meanwhile, seems like one defender poised for a lights-on season coming off the edge. This pair joins junior Vic Beasley (18 tackles, 8.0 sacks) as CU's top three ends; Beasley, like Crawford, looks on the verge of a statistical explosion. Along the interior, the Tigers return juniors Grady Jarrett (49 tackles, 8.5 for loss) and Josh Watson (54 tackles), the two starters, as well as junior DeShawn Williams and sophomores D.J. Reader, Carlos Watkins and Roderick Byers. And what of freshmen Shaq Lawson and Ebenezer Ogundeko? Look for Lawson's 260-pound frame to play well behind Crawford and Barnes, while Ogundeko slots in as Beasley's understudy once he gains more familiarity with the system.

The Tigers have a wealth of options at linebacker. Having said that, don't look for the starting trio to change: Spencer Shuey (93 tackles) and Quandon Christian (40 tackles) return on the outside, with Shuey closing last year on a tear, and middle linebacker Stephone Anthony (77 tackles, 4.5 for loss) is starting to scratch the surface of his potential. For Anthony, last season's humbling demotion should lift his game to new heights ‚?? and he'll also benefit from Shuey's move to the weak side. The first linebacker off the bench will be junior Tony Steward, who can play multiple spots on the second level, followed by former Oklahoma transfer Kellen Jones.

This secondary has several experienced options at cornerback. I count four, actually: Darius Robinson, a senior, and juniors Martin Jenkins, Garry Peters and Bashaud Breeland. Three of the four played major minutes last season, though Robinson Breeland and Robinson saw their years cut short due to the injury. The one outlier is Jenkins, who was a key in the secondary rotation in 2010 and 2011 but took a redshirt last fall due to injury. Where does that leave four-star freshman Mackensie Alexander? He should play, but I wonder how easily he can crack into the mix with such an experienced quartet atop the two-deep. One true freshman has worked his way into a role, however: Jadar Johnson entered the preseason as CU's second strong safety, behind Robert Smith, who earned the starting nod with a very strong spring. The fourth starter is sophomore Travis Blanks (51 tackles), who I think will challenge for all-ACC honors after spending last fall in a hybrid role. I'll say this: CU's secondary is the weak spot of the defense. Nevertheless, I think there's enough experience, blended with young talent, to develop very well in September and October. The Tigers do open with Georgia, however‚?¶

- Special teams: Kicker Chandler Catanzaro has his down moments as a freshman, improved by leaps and bounds as a sophomore and was one of the nation's elite as a junior, which obviously bodes well for his final season. At punter, Clemson has sophomore Bradley Pinion, who gained valuable playing time behind Spencer Benton as a rookie. The return game has supreme potential with Watkins, Peake and Humphries sharing duties ‚?? with Watkins taking point. He had a down year last fall, as did the Tigers' coverage teams, but the entire group should rebound in 2013.

POSITION(S) TO WATCH

- Running back: The Tigers will have their hands full replicating Andre Ellington's production even if Boyd continues to be a major weapon on the ground ‚?? even if Boyd increases his rushing totals, though that seems like a tall task. Instead of focusing on one back as Ellington's successor, look for CU to utilize a by-committee approach headlined by senior Roderick McDowell (450 yards), last year's understudy. He'll be joined by sophomore Zac Brooks (124 yards), who had a bumpy rookie season, and former walk-on C.J. Davidson, perhaps the biggest surprise of the offseason. The Tigers knew Davidson could fly; he's a track star who didn't join the team until last season, participating primarily on special teams. Davidson earned a spot in the rotation, though he was aided by another factor: D.J. Howard continues to battle injuries, leaving him on the outside of the two-deep as the Tigers wrap up fall camp. In a perfect world, Howard would regain his form, handing CU some impact in reserve and allowing Swinney to redshirt both incoming freshmen, Tyshon Dye and Wayne Gallman. It's vital that this backfield deliver, taking some pressure off Boyd and the passing game.

GAME(S) TO WATCH

- Florida State: I'd certainly listen to an argument for South Carolina, seeing that the game will be for far more than just bragging rights by the end of November. There's obviously enormous importance around the opening against Georgia, with that game potentially tipping CU into the nation's top five after the first weekend of the season. But the Tigers' clearest path to the BCS continues to go through the ACC, and through FSU in particular. Clemson can still have a wildly successful season if it loses one of these three games, and could even deem the year a success by dropping two of three ‚?? if the win comes against either FSU or South Carolina. Regardless of what happens otherwise, going 0-3 against this power trio will make this season a disappointment.

SEASON BREAKDOWN & PREDICTION

- In a nutshell: I doubt Clemson can run this gauntlet ‚?? Georgia, Florida State and South Carolina ‚?? and come out unscathed heading into the ACC title game, though even the doubters must at least acknowledge the possibility that this team has what it takes to play for the national championship. What I don't doubt, not even slightly, is the Tigers' chances at reclaiming the ACC crown after a one-year absence. This is an offense-driven squad with the firepower to run with anyone; this is also a team with an improving defense, even if the defense is still too questionable to be included among the nation's best. In total, with this offense, defense and special teams, CU must be viewed as one of the best teams in the FBS and a very strong contender for a BCS bowl.

And yes, much of this has to do with the offense. With Boyd back under center, this attack should be quicker and more consistent than it was a year ago ‚?? which is saying something. The concerns, in no particular order: receiver beyond Watkins, backfield production and the offensive line. The latter shouldn't be an issue, given the number of returning starters. Watkins' talent will ensure open holes for Peake, Bryant and the rest of the receiver corps. The running game doesn't need to do it all; it just needs to contribute when needed, and against the cream of the crop in particular.

The defense isn't quite there. But it's better, right? For this defense ‚?? and this entire team ‚?? the season comes down to how it handles Georgia's balance, Florida State's toughness and South Carolina's flexibility. For now, I see all three opponents as a hair ahead of CU in the title race. That's not to say that the Tigers can't run the table; I just see two or three losses during the regular season, which keeps CU in the BCS hunt but a step removed from the championship conversation. This should be a stronger team that does no better than tread water in the win column.

- Dream season: Clemson runs the table and beats Virginia Tech in the ACC title game, earning a very deserved spot in the national championship game.

- Nightmare season: The Tigers lose the big three games ‚?? Georgia, FSU, Carolina ‚?? and drop a fourth to Georgia Tech.

IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING

- All-name team nominee: OG Spencer Region.

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